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Sonny Bill Williams

You Can't Stop the Sun from Shining
3.89 goodreads logo

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( 409 ratings, 35 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Sonny Bill Williams is a compelling biography that delves into the life of the renowned sports star, Sonny Bill Williams. Co-authored with Alan Duff, the book explores Sonny's journey from a challenging upbringing to achieving success in rugby and boxing. It offers a candid look at his personal and professional experiences, revealing his commitment to personal growth and resilience.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

If you are inspired by stories of personal transformation and overcoming adversity, this biography offers insight into the life of an exceptional athlete. It delves into the challenges and triumphs of a professional career in rugby and boxing, intertwining themes of resilience and discipline. You'll appreciate the candid portrayal of a journey marked by both personal and professional growth.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

'Compelling and open-hearted' - Donald McRae, Guardian

'Excellent' - David Walsh, Sunday Times

'An athlete like no other...complex and interesting.' - Weekend Australian

'Full of hard truths that sporting teams, sportspeople and fans can learn from.' - Sun-Herald

Sonny Bill Williams (SBW) is a once in a hundred-year athlete with immense sporting talent in Rugby League, Rugby Union, and Boxing. Sonny Bill has built an incredible career and sporting reputation across the globe. His athleticism has taken him from inner-city Auckland, where he grew up, to the highest sporting moments in Twickenham, Eden Park, and Sydney's Olympic Stadium. But there is so much more to Sonny Bill Williams' life and journey than his on-field and in-the-ring triumphs.

Sonny Bill's love of family, his faith, his skill and performance throughout his unparalleled sporting career, his ability to unite a team under pressure, his grace in owning his mistakes, the challenges of leaving home as a young man and dealing with a negative culture and the temptations that followed, and his courage in speaking out for the vulnerable and calling out injustice are all aspects of an inspiring life story.

Sonny Bill Williams was the first Muslim to play for the All Blacks. Driven by a fierce moral compass, Sonny Bill thoughtfully and authentically uses his standing and platform as both a UNICEF Ambassador and an elite sportsperson to speak out on political issues that confront the world today and to benefit those struggling in life. He is a dedicated family man, devoted to his faith, committed to his teammates, respectful of his fans, and aware that the path he has taken can inspire and empower others. He is especially focused on opening up opportunities for his Pasifika brothers and sisters and for people of colour.

Writing with Alan Duff, award-winning author of Once Were Warriors, Sonny Bill Williams is a must-read memoir for anyone who loves sport and an inspiring story of faith, family, and the power of daring to dream.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Sonny Bill Williams receives praise for its honest and inspiring account of Sonny Bill Williams's life from his early struggles to his successes across various sports. Co-authored with Alan Duff, it highlights Williams's personal growth, resilience, and commitment to his faith and family. It's lauded for offering an insightful look into the challenges faced by a top athlete off the field.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780733648960

Publisher: Hachette Australia

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 27 July 2022

Country: Australia

Imprint: Hachette Australia

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 33.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 260g

Pages: 336

About the Author

Sonny Bill Williams (Author)

Sonny Bill Williams (SBW) is a once in a hundred-year athlete with immense sporting talent. He has been a national and international champion across Rugby Union, Rugby League and Boxing. Williams began his career in Rugby League, and has played in the Australian NRL with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and the Sydney Roosters. He has played for the Toronto Wolfpack in Super League and has played Rugby Union for Toulon in France, Canterbury, Counties Manukau, the Crusaders, the Chiefs and the Blues in New Zealand and the Panasonic Wild Knights in Japan. He has won 58 caps for the New Zealand All Blacks and was a member of the teams that won the 2011 and 2015 Rugby Union World Cups. He has also played Rugby Sevens for New Zealand, competing in the 2015-16 World Rugby Sevens Series and the 2016 Olympics. Williams has boxed professionally seven times, winning all of his heavyweight bouts. He was the New Zealand Professional Boxing Association (NZPBA) Heavyweight Champion and World Boxing Association (WBA) International Heavyweight Champion. Away from sport, Sonny Bill Williams focuses on his family, his Islamic faith and is very involved in charity work and promoting social justice.

Alan Duff (Author)

Alan Duff is a novelist, columnist, advocate and businessperson. His first published novel, Once Were Warriors, was a critical and commercial success, and was subsequently made into an award-winning feature film. Alan has published several novels and has written for radio and as a newspaper columnist. Duff has been an outspoken commentator on Maori affairs and was the driving force behind the New Zealand Books in Homes scheme, which aims to make books available to underprivileged children at minimal cost.

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